VESTAVIA HILLS, Alabama -- When Mayor Butch Zaragoza revealed the first artist renderings of Vestavia's new 57,000 square-foot City Hall complex yesterday afternoon during the Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, he made it clear he wanted the building to service both city employees and residents equally.

"We'd like it so serve as our version of a Town Hall," Zaragoza told AL.com today. "We want our residents to come to the City Hall to conduct business and also to enjoy the green space, the community meeting space."

Eventually, he said, he'd like to see events held there--events like Holiday in the Hills, the tree lighting event and the I Love America series.

The City, said Zaragoza, is in the process of finalizing drawings now in hopes of starting the demolition process in March.

Following that timetable, construction would begin halfway through May and have an estimated completion date of August 2015.

The complex will be composed of two buildings, said Zaragoza. One--approximately 29,000 square-feet--to serve as the main City Hall building to house administration offices, fire, public safety and the city clerk, finance, IT, council chambers and a work session room .The other, approximately 28,000 square-feet, will house the City's police and courts.

The renderings come just a few months after the City first announced it had nailed down a space for the new construction.

Aerial image of the existing site. (City of Vestavia Hills)

In November, Zaragoza announced the closing of the real estate transaction to purchase the site of the former Food World and Joe's Ranch House at 1105 Mayland Lane. Vestavia Hills acquired the former Food World site for $1.15 million and the Mayland Lane property for $ 825,000.

The plan to build a new city hall, said Zaragoza during his speech, is a necessary step in helping the city move forward. The current City Hall--which has been around since 1953--is dated and cramped, he said. Even though there have been numerous additions made to the space, several employees must still share offices.

"We are no longer a small city," said Zaragoza.

Birmingham-based Williams Blackstock Architects has been commissioned to design the space and B.L. Harbert to serve as construction manager.

"We are already proud of the space," he said, "and we hope that community will feel the same once you see the drawings."